A 9th grader places her cellphone into a holder as she enters class at Delta High School in Delta, Utah, in February. The rural school has a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class.
Schools’ efforts to stop students from using their cellphones during class have set up a battle of wits between teachers and their charges.
From checking their messages on smartwatches to stuffing calculators in Yondr pouches instead of their phones, students are constantly trying to find ways around school cellphone policies. To get a sense of what tactics students are using and how schools are responding, the EdWeek Research Center this fall asked teachers, principals, and district leaders how students in their schools try to circumvent cellphone bans.
Their responses to an open-ended question reveal how much energy teachers are expending on trying to stay one step ahead of their students. As a high school teacher in Nevada put it: “Students are sneaky.”
The educators’ perspectives come at a critical time when more schools and states are putting cellphone restrictions in place. But those policies range from full-scale bans of cellphones during school hours to more flexible policies that allow students to possess, but not use, their phones in class. Making those policies work in practice can be very difficult, educators point out.
In addition to identifying some of the most common ways students are thwarting cellphone policies, a few other trends emerged from educators’ responses on the survey: namely, that while students are certainly causing teachers headaches, parents as well as school and district leadership can also undermine efforts to keep cellphone distractions in the class to a minimum.
Following is a compilation of some of the more illuminating responses on how students are getting around cellphone bans and how schools are—or are not—responding. Nearly 500 teachers, principals, and district leaders responded to the open-ended survey question.
Hiding cellphones in pockets, using burner phones, and accessing smartwatches
They are constantly using them, sneaking them out of pockets and using them whenever they like. It is a constant battle to try to stop them.
— High school teacher, Pennsylvania
We have caddies that they put their phones in when they enter the classroom. They get around this by having burner phones.
— High school teacher, Tennessee
This year, we started using Yondr pouches to lock up students' phones during the day. Students have broken the pouches to get their phones out.
Smartwatches have been used by students (and their parents) to circumvent the cellphone policy.
— Elementary school principal, New Jersey
Students grow out their hair to hide the wireless earbuds, because they can turn the music on before they put their phones in the Yondr pouches and the signal is not blocked.
–High school teacher, Nevada
Students will refuse to deposit their phones in designated spaces; saying simply it's their personal property. Many will place phones between their legs to try to hide the phone; to put the teacher in an awkward situation.
— High school teacher, Wisconsin
Students use [classroom computers'] messaging apps and computer apps to access the various platforms they usually use.
— High school science teacher, Texas
What’s working to make cellphone policies more effective
We used lockable pouches in the past and students broke the locks or cut the pouches open. We now ask for cellphones to be off and in backpacks. If we see them, even if they are not in use, they go to the office for parent pickup.
— Middle school principal, California
[If] the students access their phones during the day, we take them and turn them into admin. A parent must come and pick the phone up. It is fairly successful.
— High school teacher, Kansas
Students try to sneak out their phones during instructional time. Fidelity to the policy by every staff member has improved the issue.
Students try to sneak a look at their phones. After a verbal warning, I simply call a number and administration sends someone to escort the student to the office for disciplinary measures to be taken.
— High school teacher, Minnesota
Students hide them in hoodies, binders, etc. The first offense is noted and they return their phone to their locker. The second offense, the phone is sent to the office and the student picks it up after school. The third offense, the parent has to pick up the phone after school. From then on, it can be an out-of-school suspension.
— Middle school teacher, Michigan
They try to use them in the bathrooms or sneak them in classrooms. We have a progressive discipline matrix in place that helps with this. We also allow them to come to the office to message or call parents, which has helped some as well.
— Elementary school principal, Washington
Lack of support from colleagues and school and district leaders can be a problem
Without the principal's backing, it is just up to teachers who care.
— High school teacher, Wyoming
Teachers don't enforce it in their classroom, so it makes it challenging for those of us that do.
— High school teacher, Kansas
The students just use them when they want because teachers are not consistent and administration is nowhere to be found.
— High school teacher, Florida
They blatantly use them anyway. When teachers report them, administration doesn't do their job and hold the student accountable to the discipline matrix. So, teachers are now giving up on doing their job of enforcing the policy. Now it looks like there isn't an issue because nobody is getting reported.
— High school teacher, Michigan
We do not have a school policy. It is up to each teacher, which makes things more frustrating. Students in one class can use their phone, then they go to the next and they are banned.
— High school teacher, Minnesota
There is not a successful response to this fiasco.
— High school teacher, Arkansas
Some parents make it very difficult to enforce cellphone restrictions
The kids have been really good with following the policy. It's the parents that text their kids that make it a problem.
— Middle school teacher, Illinois
There is no success in my school. From the top down, parents are feared.
— Middle school teacher, Texas
Parents often interfere because they feel they have the right to contact their children at anytime.
— High school teacher, Georgia
Parents have asked the superintendent to change the cellphone ban. Some parents feel that students should be allowed to have cellphones in class in case of emergencies.
Students do not respect the policy and just open their phones and use them outwardly during class. Parents fight the phone policy saying their student has the right to use their phone for classwork and communication because they bought the phone and gave it to their child.
— Principal, Texas
Our policy restricts use during instructional time. Students continue to violate the policy, and parents are often not supportive. At this point, I would almost welcome a state ban of cellphones.
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